In rough waters but Nagaland’s fishery sector swims on

KOHIMA, JULY 27: There is considerable potential for aquaculture and fishery in Nagaland if not for constraints that are putting to difficulty the sector. The constraints are many: poor implementation of aquaculture-related skill development due to lack of training infrastructure and lack or organized market in the state and the lack of scientific knowledge among fish farmers and limited financial power and general lack of awareness and interest in participatory development programs and entrepreneurship development among fish farmers.
A highlight of the challenges the state’s fishery sector had been facing was given during a workshop in Kohima recently.
A workshop on management of fisheries and aquaculture in Nagaland was conducted on Wednesday at Hotel Japfu in Kohima town.
The workshop is organized by the College of Fisheries of the Central Agricultural University of Tripura in collaboration with the directorate of Fisheries, government of Nagaland, as part of an ongoing five-year project ‘Centre of Excellence in Fisheries and Aquaculture Biotechnology.’ The event is sponsored by the department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
The project covers the entire north eastern states. It aims to explore, document and generate authentic database on the fish germplasm and to enhance fisheries and aquaculture.
Nikhashe Sema, the secretary for Fisheries, said in his address that the ‘primitive method of fisheries practice’ in Nagaland needs to be ‘upgraded technically with modern type of farming in order to produce sufficiently in the state.’ He also urged the participants to acquire sufficient information and disseminate the knowledge to farmers.
Through a power point presentation, Kevisa Kense, director of Fisheries, has said that the total fish production in the state was at 8220 MT. The average productive levels of fish from ponds, paddy-cum-fish culture (earthen and semi-permanent embankment) and reservoir fisheries was stated to be at 2100, 335-500 and 158 kilograms from a hectare a year in that order.
It was also informed that Nagaland’s per capita fish consumption rate was 6.10 kilograms while the per capita production was just 4 kilograms. The state imports more than 3850 MT fish every year to meet the demands of the people.
He informed that at present, Nagaland had fish seed production of 478 lakh; 8 demonstration fish farms, a cold storage (10 MT capcity) in Dimapur; two ice plants (5 MT capacity) in Dimapur and Wokha, and a prawn hatchery in Mokokchung district.
According to extensive surveys that were conducted on two rivers namely the Chathe and the Dhansiri at twenty sampling sites, a total of 21 fish species belonging to 15 genera, 9 families and 4 orders were recorded. Also, 230 specimens were collected under the FAB-COE project, the gathering was told.
It further informed that more than 50 samples are being identified with a total of 9 different species in Nagaland having been given DNA barcodes.
Although Nagaland has a potential fish including ornamental fishes, officials from the FAB-COE have pointed out the threats to aquatic ecosystem and fish germplasm in the state. Some of the threats as pointed out include degradation due to sand mining, dumping of garbage directly into rivers, coal mining, dynamite fishing and poisoning in hill streams etc.
With the value of fish and its byproducts believed to be finding increased value among the local population in the past few years, officials from the department of Fisheries said to be implementing various farmer-centric policies and programs. The projects will go a long way in realizing the objectives of the department by giving special emphasis on human resource development, and diversifying fishery activities.
In this regard, the general message was that special efforts were been made to promote fish culture by way of adopting semi- to intensive fish culture, paddy-and-fish culture, reservoir fisheries, integrated fisheries etc through joint ventures between fishermen and the Fishery department.
Also, Nagaland shows good scope for the development of ornamental fisheries market, and coldwater fisheries and giant fresh water prawn farming, the workshop highlighted. Some of the important ornamental species found in Nagaland require scientific intervention for their propagation and promotion though.
The officials also pointed out some of the constraints that the state’s fishery sector had been facing include poor implementation of aquaculture-related skill development due to lack of training infrastructure and training for trainers; unavailability of quality fish seed and feed; lack or organized market in the state; lack of aquaculture insurance at par with agriculture; lack of scientific knowledge among fish farmers; limited financial power at district and field levels and general lack of awareness and interest in participatory development programs and entrepreneurship development among fish farmers.
Himandri Saha, the state coordinator of Nagaland FAB-COE and Dr RK Majumdar, associate professor spoke during the inaugural program. They are to speak on various topics during the technical session for July 28, at 9:30 am.
For trivia lovers: the Chocolate Mahseer (Neolissochillus hexagonolepis) is the State Fish of Nagaland.